Loose-leaf file or binder



W. D. SHOEMAKER.

LOOSE LEAF FILE 0R BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-17, 1919.

1,385,590. Patented July 26, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM D.1SHOEMAKER, on nnumuonn, MARY AND:

LOOSE-LEAF FILE on. BINDER;-

To all whom it may concern Beit known that 1, WILLIAM D. SHOE- MAnnn, a citizen of'theUnited States, residing at Drummond, inthe county'of Montgomery and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Files or Binders, of which the following is a specification. I g

This invention relates to loose leaf files or binders, and'more particularly to such a file or hinder intended to loosely hold data sheets between firmly held separator sheets, the separator sheetsbearing indicia in con venient position along'their edges toidentify the data sheetsheld between them, to the end that the latter may be replaced when removed for any. reason. 7 y

The specific adaptation of the file or binder is for holding soft copies of United States and'foreign' patents. In the patent departments of manufacturing concerns, where special patent libraries are maintained, binders are employed for conveniently assembling copies of patents in desired compilations. These binders must permit the ready removal of the copy of the patent and also indicate to a subsequent searcher that. the copy has been removed, and to. the filing clerk the proper place to which it should be returned. To this 'end the number of the patent" to occupy a particular space in the file or binder is placed upon the margin of the associatedseparator sheet. To make the absence of a copy conspicuous, a distinctively colored separator sheet is employed. Y 1

The file orbinder which I havedevised for this purpose consists primarilyof covers and separator sheets between them, fastening' means being. provided forconnectingthe covers and separator sheets, preferably in clamped relation, the separator sheets being connected'together in series. v 7

Among the objects accomplished" by my inventionmay be mentioned the ease of as sembling, the proper spacingof the separator sheets and their reinforcement at points adjacent the fastening meansand the convenience in adding or subtracting sepa rator sheets. l In the'drawings,'

Figure 1 is an. endelevation' of the file or binder: v

Fig, 2 is a perspective of'one endof the fluted memberyemployedj as a'jcofnnector for i the p rator sheets,

Specification of lettersylatent. Patented July 26'', 1921- A' iication filed November 17,1919. Serial 338,684. i

views similar to'Fig. 1 showing my improved file unit used with other forms of cover members and fastening means. Like reference characters will refer to similar part's'throughout' the several figures of the drawings. I

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5'will be first described in detail, after which the modifications shown in Figs. (Ste 9 will be understood from a brief reference thereto.

Covers A, B, comprising a clamping or brace section a and a hinged section. b, are connected by a common form of post and screw fastener 0, known as the Ghicagofas tener, and consisting of amain or'post mem; ber 0,showninFig. l as broken, and a screw 03. The post and screw are provided with heads a, the usual groove being provided in thescrew head for manipulation in thewell known manner. Eyelets are provided in the clamping or brace sections of the covers to receive the post and screw, but to retain the heads. c

The particular form of fastener, however,

' is of relatively small importance, as many of the common fasteners now on the market may be used as an element of my invention, ilrrcluging. the simplespring lasp shown in n Fig. 3'is shown a separator or file unit F, comprising aseries 0f Separator sheets f connected together byja fluted strip G, best shown per 'se in Fig; 2. There are six sheets so connected in this unit, this number. of sheets having beenselected as a convenient number to .be erfor'atedat'a'single punching operation; 'I he fluted strip'may be of a width to conveniently cover Well onehole or perforationz', in which case, two or more strips will be required to formthe unit; its width may be slightly in excess of the dis,- tancebetweenthe upper andlower perforations; orit may be the full Width'of the separator sheet.

The separator sheets may be attached to the strip Gr either before it is fluted, or afterward, but in any event the separator sheets are attached by paste, glue or otherwise to one side of the flute, as may best be seen in Fig. 4, wherein 7 represents the sep arator sheets, G the fluted strip as a whole,

while'g and 9 respectively, the attached and the free sections of the flute. 1

When a fastener of the general type of the Chicago screw' post is used, holes of a size to conveniently accommodate the parts 7 thereof are punched through the spearator V the perforations will be in perfect aline-,

sheets and both the attached and free sections of the fluted strip, so that when the fluted strip is collapsed, as shown in Fig. 1,

' or binder. The same result, however, may

be obtained by connecting unitsof six. sheets by pasting or otherwlse, as suggested at m in Fig. 4C.

It'will be apparent that the portion g of the fluted strip when attached by adheslve to theseparatorsheets at the point where they are punched provides an efficient reinforce for that portion of the separator sheet,

' and that the two portions 9 and 9 together .with the film of adhesive, when used constitutes a spacing member between ad acent sheets, when the unitis'collapsed, to com pensate for the thickness of the data sheet orsheets normally, between the. separator sheets.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, attention isdirected tojthe spread or open positionof the file unit F,,in which position the separator sheets lie upon one another "in overlapped condition, the overlap being uniform, leaving .a space at-the edge of each separator sheet for the placing. of indicia, for instance, the number of a patent, when the fil is to be used for the keeping of copies of patents, to the end that the absence of a particular patent may be readily noted by a subsequent searcher, and replaced in its proper placeby the filing clerk. The unit in this spread-out condition is also used for assembling the patents ordata sheets within thefile or binder, as the overlapping portions with the indicia thereon form a convenient means of selecting the proper leaf'to b raised in order that the patent or data sheet may be placed thereunder. It

will be understood that the patents are unstapled and the drawings turned over, to the end that they maybe viewed .upon a turningv of the separator sheets in the finishedfile or binder. After the data sheets or patents have been placedbetween the separator sheets, the unit maybe collapsed and in such condition placed upon the post or other fastener.

After the unit or unitshave been placed threads for that purpose, thus firmly con-:

necting, and preferably clamping, the several parts together, it being understood that these fasteners may be supplied in several lengths to accommodate the thickness'of the particular file unit used. 7

If the fluted strip hasnot' provided sufficient spacing capacity, additional spacin members, preferably of a width andlengt to fit within a flute member, may be inserted between free sections of flutes and separator sheets, as shown at n in Fig. 4:, or between units, as shown at n in Fig. 1.

If after assemblage, it should be, desired to insert at any point an additional separator sheet, as when an additional patent of an early date has been found belonging to the a selected group of patents, it may be easily done by unfastening the binder and removing from the posts sufficient units'to. enable said sheetto be placed between the proper separator sheet and the adjacent free section of aflute, as best seen in Fig. 5 atP,

the forming of a flute with one attached and one free section making this possible.

In the form of the invention shown I in Fig. 6, no fluted strip separate from the'separator sheets is used, but instead the equivalent. is provided by makingla flute upon the made by stapling or b stitching, and par- I 115 ticularly in the form 0 the inventionshown in Fig. 7, where the binder is providedwith' a spring back T, and hinged covers T and T the separator units being .clamped'be; tween the portions t, t, of the spring back. In this form, the stitching or staples. form additional spacing means.- I

Figs. 8 and 9 represent two other'well known forms of commercial binder covers, in connection with which I have chosento illustrate my invention. The binder of Fig. 8 is known as--the wing binder in which the brace member u of the cover is connected to the hinge member a at u whereby thefheads ofv the post and screw are hidden from view when he binder is closed,

and the desk or table upon which the binder may be placed is protected from any scratching by means of the heads. The form of the invention shown in Fig. 9 is provided with a back made in two sections '0 and N, which will slide upon each other in the clamping operation of the binder. These back sections are formed with the brace sections 4) and a sheet metal plate or reinforce of angle formation 12 is provided. The post and screw of this binder is capable of greater expansion than the one shown in Fig. l. The position shown is that of maximum expansion with the edges of the back sections approximately abutting as shown at '0 in its position of minimum expansion, the back sections will overlap, and they are made springy so that they will rub or closely engage each other.

What I claim is:

1.'In a file or binder, the combination of cover members, fastening means for connecting the same, and a file unit held by said fastening means between said cover members and comprising a plurality of separator sheets and means for holding said sheets in a pile in a collapsed condition of the unit or in a fixed relationship with each other in a spread out condition of the unit.

2. In a file or binder, the combination of cover members, fastening means for connecting the same, and a file unit held by said fastening means between said covers comprising a plurality of separator sheets and a connector for said sheets in the form of a plurality of flutes, one section of each flute being free and the other attached to a separator sheet.

3. In a file or binder, the combination of cover members, a file unit held between said cover members and'comprising a plurality of separator sheets and a connector for said sheets in the form of a plurality of flutes, one section of each flute being free and the other attached to a eparator sheet, said sheets and flutes being provided with alined perforations, and fastening means passing through said perforations and connecting said covers and file unit.

4. In a file or binder, the combination of a plurality of separator sheets, a connector for said sheets comprising a plurality of flutes, one section of each flute being free and the other attached to a separator sheet, said flutes and sheets being provided with alined apertures, and fastening means passing through said apertures to maintain said sheets in a fixed relationship to each other.

5. A file unit comprising a plurality of separator sheets, and connecting members therefor in the form of fluted extensions upon said sheets, one ection of the fluted extension being attached to the adjacent separator sheet.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

WM. D. SHOEMAKER. 

